HOOK touring car driver Rob Collard is hoping to compete at the final meeting of the season next weekend, despite being air-lifted to hospital after rolling his car at Silverstone.

Collard finished seventh in race one of the British Touring Car Championship event at Silverstone last weekend but was struggling with his tyres and steering in race two.

He was running around 12th when Jack Clarke lost control of his car, sliding into Collard’s rear and sending his ebay Motors BMW into a dramatic barrel-roll.

After being released from his car, a winded Collard was rushed to hospital by helicopter, but x-rays revealed no serious damage and he was allowed to leave later the same day.

He said: “It was not scary, but it hurt and I was struggling for breath because I was winded, which is always a worry.

“I am hoping to be fit for Brands Hatch next weekend, but it is the car that could be more of a problem, because the crash damaged the main structure.

“The guys are working really hard on it this week, and hopefully it will be okay.”

As a result of his crash, which meant he didn’t take any points from the last two races of the day, Collard has dropped to sixth in the championship standings ahead of the final meeting of the season.

“It would be nice to get back into the top five in the standings,” he said.

“After race one, I was up to fourth again, but having the accident and missing race three dropped me down a couple of places.”

Collard’s team-mate, Odiham racer Nick Foster, had a difficult weekend, finishing 15th in the first two races and 16th in the third. He sits 16th in the championship standings going into Brands Hatch.